This cake was great!  A nice mix of flavours, a moist but not dense cake, and a fantastic icing that topped it off perfectly.  I put it on the table outside of my office and less than 10 minutes later this was all that was left.  My friend Susanne snapped this picture right before the last of it was taken!

Cake:
1/2 cup butter (I was out, so used half a cup of vegetable oil, no problem)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp maple extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 8" pan.  Cream butter, add sugar and keep creaming until fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add maple flavouring.  In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add mixture in 3 parts alternately with milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.  Stir in walnuts and pour into pan.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes until done.  Cool, then frost.

Cream Cheese Icing
2 8-oz packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together butter and cream cheese.  Add vanilla, and then gradually mix in the icing sugar.

Both recipes from Allrecipes.com
Theresa

I am a pretty big sucker for most things made with chai (I think it's the hippy/yogi in me). This is a super simple recipe that will definitely impress the masses. I made a half recipe but you can make the full one below to serve 12-16 p
What you need for the cake:
1 and 1/3 cups milk
6 chai tea bags, without added sweetner
4 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 and 3/4 cups flour
2 cups while sugar
4.5 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease the bottom and sides of the pans and line with parchment paper. Grease the paper as well. In a small saucepan bring the milk to a simmer over low med-low heat. Add the tea bags. Remove from heat and allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes. Remove the teabags and squeeze out the milk. Let the chai milk cool completely.

In a medium bowl mix the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and 1/3 cup of the chai milk. Whisk together and set aside. In another bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Beat on low for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining chai milk, on med-low speed. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg mixture in three additions scraping the between additions. Divide the batter evenly among the pans.

Bake the cakes for 26-28 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and peel off parchment paper. Cool completely.

To assemble the cake place one layer flat side down a serving plate and top with 2/3 cup of icing. Spread to the edge and repeat with second layer. Place third layer on top and spread the remaining ginger cream on top allowing it to drizzle down the sides of the cake like icicles or ice the whole thing like I did.

Honey-Ginger Cream:
2.5 cups icing sugar
9 oz cream cheese at room temp.
6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temp.
1/2 cup honey (any kind as long as liquid)
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger


From Sky High:Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne
Makes an 8-inch triple layer cake; serves 12-16

This is my "go-to" chocolate cake recipe - so easy!  It turns out a smooth, moist, even cake with a great chocolate-y flavour every time.

For the Christmas season and an event at work, I dressed it up with a peppermint glaze and crushed candy canes. 

Cake
2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour your baking pan(s) - you can use two nine inch round pans, one bundt pan, or a tall 9" pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pan(s).
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze:
Icing Sugar
Hot Water
Peppermint Extract

Portions are up to you depending on how much of the glaze you want,  but you could start with 1 cup of icing sugar.  Put the icing sugar into a cup, and gradually add a couple drops of hot water, stirring each time, until you reach your desired consistency.  Hint: the thicker it is, the more it will show up as white on your cake.  Once you're happy with the glaze, add a couple drops of peppermint extract to your taste. 

Topping: I took three candy canes and crushed them, then sprinkled them onto the cake *while the glaze was still fresh - so they would stay in place.

Chocolate Cake recipe originally from All Recipes.com
Theresa